The deep dish that Chicagoans actually eat, as opposed to the tourist-directed versions at the downtown chains. Pequod's signature is the caramelized cheese crust — mozzarella pressed against the edge of the pan and cooked until it forms a blackened, crunchy, sweet-savoury crown around the pizza that is unlike anything in the deep-dish canon. The interior is a no-frills tavern with sports on the televisions and pitchers on the tables, which is exactly the environment deep dish was meant to be consumed in. This is not a culinary temple; it is a neighbourhood pizza joint that happens to make the best deep dish in the city, and the locals queue for it accordingly.
Location
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Insider Intel
A deep dish with sausage — the Italian sausage is laid in a single, unbroken layer across the entire pizza, which is the Chicago orthodox method. The caramelized cheese crust is the whole point and requires no modification. Add green peppers or onions if you want, but the sausage-and-cheese combination is the essential Pequod's experience. A pitcher of beer is the correct accompaniment. The thin crust is decent but not why you made the trip.
Weekday at 5pm, immediately when dinner service starts, to minimize the wait. Weekend evenings draw queues that can stretch to 90 minutes, and the restaurant does not take reservations. The deep dish takes 30-45 minutes to cook after ordering, so the total time investment on a busy night is considerable. Call ahead for carry-out if the wait is unacceptable.
No reservations. The wait on weekend evenings is real and substantial — arrive early or resign yourself to patience. Cash and card accepted. The Clybourn Avenue location is in Lincoln Park, walkable from the Red Line at North/Clybourn. The original location is in Morton Grove (suburbs) and some partisans claim it is superior. A whole deep dish feeds two to three people. Do not eat a full deep dish alone on your first attempt — the density is aggressive.